Fish & Richardson has been named to the National Law Journal’s (NLJ) “2013 Appellate Hot List” as one of 20 firms “doing killer appellate work before the Supreme Court, federal circuit courts of appeal and state courts of last resort.” This is the third time that Fish has been named to the “Appellate Hot List.” Last month, Fish was named to the NLJ’s second annual “IP Hot List” for the second year in a row.

The NLJ noted Fish’s unique “no egos” approach to its appellate cases, with an elite core briefing team “in charge of crafting rock-solid legal arguments” while the arguments themselves are handled by the trial attorney who is most knowledgeable about the case.

“It’s an honor to again be recognized as one of the country’s top appellate firms,” said Ann Cathcart Chaplin, Litigation Practice Group Leader at Fish & Richardson. “Complicated IP appeals that involve precedent-setting and industry-changing legal and technical issues are our specialty. Our clients not only stick with us when an appeal is necessary, but we are often hired to handle appeals in cases other firms have lost.”

Fisher & Phillips LLP is pleased to announce that three of its San Diego attorneys, founding partner Chris Hoffman, and partners David Monks and Regina Petty, have been selected for inclusion in this year’s 2013 San Diego Super Lawyers®.

Hoffman is the founding and managing partner of the San Diego office. He represents employers in matters ranging from wage-and-hour class action litigation to traditional labor matters. He regularly assists employers to draft and enforce arbitrations agreements, and successfully argued one of the most often cited decisions from the California Supreme Court in this area, Little v. Auto Stiegler.

Monks counsels employers on a wide variety of matters, including employee discipline and termination, wage-and- hour issues, disability accommodation protocols, family and medical leave issues, investigations of harassment and other misconduct, and independent contractor issues.

Petty practices in state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels and is experienced in multi-district and class action litigation. She successfully argued Jones v. The Lodge at Torrey Pines Partnership (2008) 42 Cal.4th 1158 before the California Supreme Court, a case noted on Bender’s California Labor & Employment Bulletin’s top ten list of most significant cases and trends for the Fair Employment and Housing Act’s fiftieth anniversary.

Buchanan’s experience handling approximately 300 appeals and writs in state and federal appellate courts includes briefing, arguing, and winning a unanimous decision in the U.S. Supreme Court in Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc., 131 S.Ct. 1131 (2011). Williamson was a products liability case against Mazda for failure to install a lap/shoulder seatbelt in the aisle seat of a minivan. On October 26, 2012, the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego presented Martin with the Outstanding Advocate Award for his victory in Williamson.

In 2012, California Lawyer magazine awarded Martin a prestigious California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) award in the appellate category. In 2011 and 2012, he was recognized as one of 500 Leading Lawyers in America by Lawdragon. In 2011, he was named as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California by the Los Angeles Daily Journal and one of the Attorneys of the Year by The Recorder. Martin has also been selected as one of the top appellate lawyers in Best Lawyers in America and San Diego Super Lawyers, which listed him as one of the Top 50 Lawyers in San Diego in 2011, 2012, and 2013. He is a recipient of the Paul Bell Memorial Award for appellate advocacy and two-time recipient of the California State Bar’s Manuel W. Wiley Award for Pro Bono Legal Services.

Cynthia Morgan, partner at Higgs Fletcher & Mack, was recently elected Board Chair of Civic San Diego (formerly Centre City Development Corporation and Southeastern Economic Development Corporation). In addition to overall Board management, Morgan will make committee appointments and strategically assemble Working Groups that will take on heightened issues addressing neighborhood-specific concerns.

“I am thrilled to have been elected Chair of an organization with a great history that is transforming itself to meet the economic development needs of the City,” said Morgan, former Treasurer of the Board and land use attorney. “The Board is a collective of experts dedicated to making San Diego a better place; Civic San Diego is the vehicle that allows us to do this.”

Civic San Diego (CivicSD) has made a number of recent announcements, including the implementation of an Affordable Housing Master Plan for downtown and surrounding areas as well as receiving its first federal tax credit allocation worth $35 million.

The Board will continue to help execute CivicSD initiatives, find more financing, encourage the building of affordable housing and focus on outlying neighborhoods to further economic goals for redevelopment project areas.

Pettit Kohn Ingrassia & Lutz is pleased to announce that three shareholders in the firm’s San Diego office have been selected for inclusion in the 2013 San Diego Super Lawyers list: Douglas A. Pettit for Professional Liability: Defense, Thomas S. Ingrassia for Employment Litigation: Defense, and Jennifer N. Lutz for Employment & Labor.

Pettit is a founding shareholder and chair of the firm’s Professional Liability and Business Litigation groups. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America every year since 2011 and the San Diego Super Lawyers list every year since 2007. In 2013, Doug also received the distinction of being on the list of the “Top 50” attorneys in San Diego for the third time.

Ingrassia is a founding shareholder and co-chair of the firm’s Employment & Labor group. He has been selected for inclusion in the San Diego Super Lawyers list every year from 2008 – 2013, listed in Best Lawyers in America and The Daily Transcript honored Tom as one of San Diego’s Top Attorneys in 2011.

Lutz is also a founding shareholder and co-chair of the firm’s Employment & Labor group. Most recently, Jennifer was nominated for The Daily Transcript’s 2013 Top Attorneys award. This is the third consecutive year that Jennifer has been selected for inclusion in the San Diego Super Lawyers list.

San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program (SDVLP), has announced its 2013 award recipients. Ben Wagner has received the Pro Bono Publico Award. This award honors a San Diego attorney who has selflessly provided legal services on behalf of SDVLP. Wagner is a litigation associate with Mintz Levin who dedicates his time and pro bono services to domestic violence victims.

DLA Piper LLP received the Sustaining Justice Award, which honors a San Diego law firm that has provided on-going extensive support to SDVLP over the years through its provision of pro bono legal services and financial support.

Melissa Blackburn-Joniaux is receiving the Exemplary Award. This award honors an individual who has volunteered extensively with SDVLP, but not necessarily by providing direct legal services. Blackburn-Joniaux, of the Law Offices of Melissa Blackburn-Joniaux, has helped organize SDVLP’s Women’s Resource Fair every year since its inception 24 years ago, in a variety of roles.

Kirby Noonan Lance & Hoge; Cohelan, Khoury & Singer; and Hanson Law Firm are all receiving the Access to Justice Award. This special award honors law firms that have directed significant, special financial support to SDVLP.

The recipients will be honored at SDVLP’s annual Justice For All Celebration on September 19 at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park. Doors open at 5:45 p.m., with the award program beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton announced today that partner Bill Shaffer will be joining the firm’s San Diego office this summer. Mr. Shaffer, who served until June 1 as the Silicon Valley Office Managing Partner for two years, will continue his practice focusing on patent prosecution and counseling as a member of the firm’s internationally recognized Intellectual Property Department.

Mr. Shaffer is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. In 2011 and 2012, he was recognized as a Northern California “Super Lawyer” in the area of Intellectual Property by SuperLawyers magazine. Mr. Shaffer was recommended by Legal 500 US in the area of Patent Prosecution in 2012. He was named a 2013 “IP Star” by Managing Intellectual Property magazine.